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Beyond the Pitch Episode 58 : BBC/SKY new deal with WSL, The return of the WCL and and overlook at other European leagues
8 Plays1 month ago
Join Cate and Catherine as they talk about the £65ML 5 years deal that the WSL has signed with Sky and BBC, the return of the WCL with 3 English teams playing in it ( Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City) and an overlook at 3 of the European Leagues ( Germany France Netherlands )
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Transcript
Introduction to Beyond the Pitch
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, hello, and welcome to Beyond the Pitch, a daily women's football podcast brought to you by the Global Sport Podcast Network. Today, last episode of the week for this week, and it's brought to you by me, Kate, and by Catherine.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you've got two cats today.
00:00:29
catherine
.
00:00:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think we have a third one somewhere on your lap as well, if I'm not wrong. Oh,
00:00:34
catherine
There is. No, she's down by my feet at the moment, snoring.
00:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
right. Okay. Maybe we could have a guest appearance. We don't know yet. We don't know yet.
00:00:43
catherine
Exactly.
00:00:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
But
New Broadcast Deal Discussion
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
anyway, um what we're going to talk about today, our three topics of the day are, first one, we're going to have a chat about the new deal announced by Sky Sports.
00:00:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I say Sky, Sky Sports really, and the BBC for the ah WSL. And I think also some of the championship games, if I'm not wrong.
00:01:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Then we're going to have a chat about the return of the Champions League, the Women's Champions League, obviously, that is happening next week. Very exciting. And also what we are going to do, and it's something that we want to introduce to the podcast.
00:01:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you to our amazing Catherine, who's got a better overview of the European scene. is that We want to have a little chat about an update of some of the leagues from Europe.
00:01:29
catherine
Thank you.
00:01:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I think we start today, I want to say, with the French, the German and the Dutch one.
00:01:39
catherine
yep
00:01:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, great. There's going to be more development about that. So stay tuned and you will see. But we are starting right now with the big news.
00:01:49
catherine
Yep.
00:01:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, maybe some of you have already heard it because it's been out for quite a few days. But basically, the WSL agrees a record 65 million domestic five years TV deals with Sky Sports and BBC.
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, this is incredible.
00:02:07
catherine
Woo.
00:02:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Almost all top flight games will be broadcasted from 2025, so from next year. And I know that it's going to be some pick as well for some of the championship games.
00:02:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Sky also has the option. The BBC is not going to do it, but it doesn't really matter because the championship games are also broadcasted on YouTube.
00:02:29
catherine
Woo!
00:02:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we have so many options now.
00:02:35
catherine
yeah
00:02:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I am a bit like overwhelmed by it all. It's just it's just such such an exciting moment.
00:02:42
catherine
stupid
00:02:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've been waiting for a long time and now it's just like, this year everything is happening and you're just like, is it really happening?
00:02:49
catherine
yeah
00:02:52
catherine
I know.
00:02:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it really happening, Catherine?
00:02:54
catherine
Yeah, it is. I just, I hope that it brings a bit more professionalism um to it. I mean, because in the past, there's been quite a lot of um issues with streaming and kind of buffering and things freezing and things I hope really hope that this kind of it's a professional league it should be broadcast professionally and all of this I think the deal goes up to 100 million with production costs and so forth.
00:03:25
catherine
And the current deal is about seven to eight million.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:03:29
catherine
So it's a huge increase, which is brilliant. And I think the having the Euros next summer will definitely have kind of given them a bit of a kick up the bum. um But yeah, it's really exciting, really good.
00:03:43
catherine
I'm just so excited for it to be broadcast more professionally.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
you.
Impact of YouTube Streaming
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And to me, what I really love is a little, how can I say in a sort of way, is like the balance that we are going to have. Right. So when, uh, I mean, when I'm, I'm still going to call it the new co I know it's not the new new co co anymore, but I got so attached emotionally by new co that I still like to call it that way.
00:04:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But anyway, when the new company that took over the WSL announced the YouTube deal that includes also the championship, I was like, wow, what a game changer.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because what happens is that sometimes when I find myself abroad, obviously I can't log into the BBC.
00:04:29
catherine
Thank you.
00:04:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I personally don't have a Sky account. So for me, it would have been a bit more difficult. I have to kind of like search the net and try to understand if there is any, I don't want to say dodgy, but sometimes yes yes sites where I can watch some of the games Champions League slightly different broadcasted more European wise but the domestic league not really so having the possibility of having that on YouTube it's incredible it's so good there was a post I think yesterday or a couple of days ago from the London City Lionesses because their game against Birmingham has been picked to be actually broadcasted on YouTube.
00:04:44
catherine
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:05:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they were asking people, you know, where in the world are you going to tune in from? And that just brought a little tear to my eyes because I was like, wow, you know know we are so used to do that with the men's side like everywhere around the world you know people watch the Premier League if they want to they have the opportunity to somehow but now we are doing the same and it's like wow like this is a massive I mean when uh so what was that nearly two years ago i think it wasn't last year yeah it was nearly two years ago right when nikki dosette was uh announced as the person who would have taken the role as a ceo for the new co and she doesn't live very far from where my god daughter lives i'm not going to disclose it for her privacy but she knows and my goddaughter is part of one of the football clubs in there and there are some of the moms that know her that knows her and she's done a few things with the football club as well and i never had the opportunity to cross path with her uh but as soon as they announced it and i knew she lived in the area i was like please can someone introduce me to this woman i've i've uh you know i've done a lot of research about her and i was like her business acumen it's incredible and that's the type of women i want to work with like i i love football i love that we're bringing communities together i love the entertainment side i love everything but i love the business and the strategy side so that how to bring the money in to develop the game which is something i found very fascinating when i read the story of how the premiersiership
00:05:28
catherine
Hmm. Hmm.
00:05:41
catherine
Yeah.
00:06:22
catherine
Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.
00:06:34
catherine
yeah
00:06:52
catherine
Yeah.
00:07:03
catherine
Yeah. It's so amazing as well because putting it on YouTube has just proved that, because, you know, the men online like to comment, no one cares about the women's game.
00:07:15
catherine
No one's going to watch the women's game. And yet three game weeks of WSL games on YouTube reached over 1,576,848 people and that excludes viewers who replayed the match after it was live and that just proves that if you if you if you put it out there people will watch it people are interested it's just getting over that hurdle of making it more accessible and And I think you're right, making it kind of globally accessible can only mean like growth and that's gonna be really, really special moving forward.
00:07:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
developed, the Premier League. Sorry.
00:07:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:07:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but also it's a bit like, um for me, it's, a I think we need to learn in a sort of way to ignore ignore whoever says that no one watches, you know, women's sport.
00:08:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't care. For me, ah and until ah they don't they don't push the boundaries, you know, ah of being disrespectful. So just, for example, saying, you know, oh who who cares about this game?
00:08:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
They don't know how to play football. They are terrible or things like that. If someone says like, I don't care, like who watches this game anyway? I don't care. Like it doesn't matter. They they can comment. It doesn't really matter.
00:08:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
We don't have to have all allies and all supporters. I mean, there are many people that don't even like football generally. Like I was in um ah was in a lecture a couple of days ago with the with at one of the universities in London.
00:08:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
They had like an open, sometimes they do like open lectures and you can you can go and you can attend it. And it was about the geopolitical effects of sports. And it was very interesting because it wasn't just about football, it was the sports in general.
00:09:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I was speaking to one of the girls in there and I was just telling her something about football and she was like I don't know I never watched a football game in my life I absolutely have zero interest and I'm just like no I know but what I'm saying is that yeah and that's fine and it's fine but what I'm saying is that it doesn't matter what they say you know people can still say oh who's gonna watch that it doesn't matter for me the important thing is that we're steering away from like really negative sexist and terrible comments and then we are going more towards also having people that comment you know in a more how do I say positive way and and and this matter because numbers speak I mean there's a lot of people that say the same thing about football normally you know there's a lot of people that go like i don't understand why people watch football i don't understand what's the fuss about it i don't like it it's a terrible sport yeah exactly so that doesn't really matter what is important is that you, know there is someone that decided to take charge of really revolutionize the women's game, at least in our country, so in England.
00:09:09
catherine
Mm-hmm.
00:09:13
catherine
To be fair, that was me. That was me until my teenage years. Yeah.
00:09:49
catherine
yeah
00:09:54
catherine
It's just a bunch of people chasing a ball around a field.
00:10:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think she is leading the way to what will come probably for many other leagues in in within, at least and if not beyond that have Catherine ah
00:10:28
catherine
Thank you. No, no, I'm here. I was just digesting, I think. I was just kind of digesting what it feels like a very big moment.
00:10:38
catherine
And yeah, it feels like we need to kind of pay our respects to what a big moment it actually could be. um Yeah. And, again, always I feel and feel like a real teacher whenever I say this, but I do think that we do always need to be aware of kind of what comes with growth.
00:11:00
catherine
And kind of opening
Challenges in Women's Football
00:11:02
catherine
up the sport to so many more people does open you up to a lot more kind of of those comments and those trolls and kind of I think we need to be aware of kind of the pitfalls of it as well and learn from where mistakes have been made in the men's game um moving forward but yeah it's a huge moment and I was just reflecting on what a huge moment it is.
00:11:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
so
00:11:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:11:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
you.
00:11:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so here we are. Our topic number two, it's the return of the Women's Champions
Women's Champions League Excitement
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
League. So it's back next week we have three english team in the mix how exciting is that i am very excited
00:11:59
catherine
Oh!
00:12:07
catherine
Yeah.
00:12:11
catherine
I wish my team was in there, but um yeah, it's still exciting to watch. um I've been watching most of the most of the games. I watched Chelsea at FC Twent.
00:12:25
catherine
I watched um Arsenal take on Bayern Munich. And that was an amazing game because um Arsenal went 2-0 up and then after half-time just um fell apart, really and Bayern ended up winning 5-2.
00:12:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:12:45
catherine
So yeah, Man City and Chelsea have both taken two wins from two in their groups. They're both top of their groups. Arsenal suffered that one heavy defeat ah winning their other game.
00:12:56
catherine
um But for me, a really interesting question is obviously the one trophy that I think Emma Hayes would have loved to have had before she left was the Champions League.
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
you.
00:13:07
catherine
It's just sod's law. This year, Chelsea are going to win it, aren't they?
00:13:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know what? I mean, we also need to think that, you know, Sonia is someone who is used to, or she's done it before.
00:13:18
catherine
little Yeah, as a player and a manager
00:13:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
So if not her, I mean, if not her, who else?
00:13:25
catherine
yeah
00:13:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, but art I've got, I don't know. I've got to say, well, okay. So for me, there is, there's a couple of teams that we need to keep an eye on.
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Actually three, no, four. Oh God. All of them.
00:13:41
catherine
player and a manager. Yeah. Well, this
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, but, okay. So, they know that the the the classic ones, so Bayern, obviously, and Barcelona, we need to keep an eye on them. We know that. We know that.
00:13:50
catherine
yeah um
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Although Barcelona had that terrible defeat in my ah up City um on their first games. But, you know, it doesn't matter. They pick themselves up and they come back, etc.. So Barcelona and Bayern, they are just those two teams that you can never rule out.
00:14:04
catherine
is good. Leon?
00:14:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah? So they're always there and you're like, hmm. Lyon, Olympique Lyonnais also, but I don't know. This year, I'm a bit like this and so I'm a bit like that with Wolfsburg.
00:14:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But those are the the classic ones that, you know, you will want to always, you're always there and you think like okay they come back somehow sometimes they can do that but two teams let's okay I'm gonna pick two two teams that we really need to look at and keep an eye on is for sure Manchester City because they are playing incredibly in the WSL.
00:14:18
catherine
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:14:34
catherine
o hu
00:14:39
catherine
Yeah, especially when comes back.
00:14:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Exactly. And I think she's really on fire inside, not just the outside. But they can, like, it it could be.
00:14:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
It could be. Especially now that the counterpart, you know, the male counterpart is having a moment of, like, downfall for the first time in, like, six or seven years.
00:14:53
catherine
Yeah.
00:14:59
catherine
Mm-hmm.
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that it's going to be a lot of emphasis around, like, okay, let's push the girls, let's push the girls. And also, I'm going to have to say Juventus. I'm going to have to say Juventus, yes.
00:15:12
catherine
They do look good. I mean, Bayern, I watched ah the game against Bayern. Again, I mentioned this last time, but I like Bayern, mainly because of George Stamway, but also they're just a very likeable team, which is um slightly upsetting.
00:15:29
catherine
But yeah, and Juventus did look really, really good. They looked so good going forward and attacking-wise. They did have a few shaky moments defensive defensively and I think Bayern just kind of knew how to punish that but yeah I mean I think they are definitely capable of getting to the latter stages for me I just see Chelsea as a bit invincible at the moment ah they seem to be just absolutely absolutely firing, hammering in goals.
00:15:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:16:03
catherine
I mean, they've scored in the WSL across five games.
00:16:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:16:06
catherine
They've scored like over 20 and conceded about three. um I mean, it will be interesting to see if that run of form continues. And I think they um the kind of important moment will be when they do drop points or have a loss will that continue um kind of with Emma gone who was such kind of a mentality monster will they be able to come back from that and I think that is going to be the tough question I mean it's a lot of the same team so i'm sure they will but um yeah i still think chelsea champions league that's my bet yeah that would be that
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, I'd love to see something like Chelsea-Juventus in the final. You know, so something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, disclaimer, Juventus is not my football team.
00:17:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
so it's not It's not like, oh my God.
00:17:03
catherine
yeah
00:17:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And it's got nothing to do with the fact that he's Italian. I mean, Roma is also there. And to be honest, Roma could also be a strong contender.
00:17:10
catherine
yes
00:17:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I don't know.
00:17:13
catherine
e
00:17:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Juventus has done like a couple of things this year, obviously in the league, but also in europe that I just went like whoa wait a minute what is going on like what is happening here yeah no it's ah it's very interesting are you catching any of the games okay
00:17:25
catherine
would be good.
00:17:43
catherine
Yeah, I've missed a few, but definitely the ones with the three English teams in.
00:17:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:17:52
catherine
Yeah.
00:17:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. So I will, I mean, to,
Stadium Scheduling Issues
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
beside Manchester, well, I don't live in Manchester. I live in London, so I can't travel.
00:18:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I could, but I will not be travelling up to Manchester to watch their game. But on the second leg, so when they are coming here, I think I'm going to catch ah both Chelsea and Arsenal.
00:18:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Arsenal-Juventus at
00:18:19
catherine
Well, this might bring a, us take off onto a tangent, but I actually had tickets for Arsenal Bayern Munich at the Emirates, which now might not be happening because the men's team need it for a Carabao Cup game.
00:18:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
the Emirates is going to be a great game. Yeah.
00:18:38
catherine
Which, it's like, this has been scheduled for months, guys, and surely Champions League trumps Carabao Cup.
00:18:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know. I was reading that. I was reading that.
00:18:48
catherine
no.
00:18:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
For us, yes. For them, no. It's it's obvious. It's obvious.
00:18:55
catherine
Yeah.
00:18:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then Chelsea is playing at Stamford Bridge as well, and I hope they will be able to have a bit more turnout. I mean, okay, fair enough. The last time they played there, the weather was terrible. I actually had the ticket.
00:19:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sorry, Chelsea. I do love you. You know, I have a soft spot for you. But it was, the weather was so bad. I don't know if you remember.
00:19:14
catherine
yeah
00:19:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was raining like crazy. And I was like, no, I stayed at home and I watched it here. Still supported it, but I watched it here. But I'm really hoping to just go like, you know, 20 Chelsea, 21st Arsenal.
00:19:25
catherine
you Yeah.
00:19:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm trying to convince a lot of the Italian community as well to come and watch it. I just, you know, we are able to go and watch Juventus and I think it's very important but anyway yeah yeah
00:20:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
think it's very important but anyway yeah yeah
00:20:04
catherine
zencast
00:20:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, first but definitely not least, and last and not least, the sorry topic, ah we are going to have a quick overview, well, a quick-ish, let's say, overview on actually the other European leagues.
00:20:11
catherine
and
00:20:17
catherine
Yeah, you just saw how much I wrote. Did you just see how much I wrote in the show notes?
00:20:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sorry?
00:20:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure you can talk
European Leagues Overview
00:20:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
for a long time about this, so it's super fine.
00:20:30
catherine
Yeah.
00:20:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
But and you are the expert in on this, so i have to say i'm not the expert i know that in one of the episodes and hopefully in more of them we might be able to have nat as well as a guest which is who is our other co-host and i know she follows the italian league as well so the syria uh more than i do and i know i should follow it more, but she she follows it really a lot.
00:20:45
catherine
a
00:20:55
catherine
Okay. Okay.
00:20:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So the floor is yours. Go for it.
00:21:03
catherine
so Well, I quite enjoy, I mean, primarily I started watching other leagues for um the England players in those leagues. But then, you know what it's like when you watch football a lot you tend to pick up kind of you pick up an affection for a team and you just begin to think oh yeah um i really like the way they play or um in some circumstances i really like their kit um but so yeah i follow the frauen bundesliga in in Germany.
00:21:36
catherine
um I do follow the French League and also the Eredivisie over in the Netherlands.
00:21:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:21:44
catherine
I don't follow the Italian League that closely. closely However, I do have a link to Fiorentina.
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
How's up?
00:21:55
catherine
Well, I say it's not a personal link. So I'm a Manchester United fan and my favourite player growing up was always our goalkeeper, David De Gea, in the men's game.
00:22:09
catherine
And he now plays for Fiorentina. So I started following them.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
How so? Right.
00:22:15
catherine
And I've caught a couple of their women's games as well.
00:22:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, okay. Yeah, they're doing quite well, actually.
00:22:20
catherine
Yeah, they they seem to be. Every time I look at their results, they're kind of winning a lot of games.
00:22:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:22:26
catherine
um So anyway, over in Germany, Bayern Munich are currently top. ah They drew one all with Frankfurt, which was kind of a, it was a really tough game.
00:22:40
catherine
Frankfurt are kind of, it seems to be Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich are kind of always the top two, but Frankfurt are beginning to kind of edge their way in and make it a three horse race, which is really exciting.
00:22:53
catherine
It's nice to see, always nice to see more competition in leagues. Over in France, Lyon are at the top. They just beat PSG 1-0.
00:23:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:23:03
catherine
I will give a shout out to Mary Earps though because she made a fantastic save. She is making some brilliant saves at the moment um after, you know, a mixed kind of start there.
00:23:13
catherine
She does seem to be rediscovering her merry-upsness, which is just brilliant. Yeah.
00:23:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I love that Mary Herbstness.
00:23:23
catherine
She's back to being Yes.
00:23:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And you can see, right, in the past a couple of games, every time she did something, like she saved something or she did something good, you can see she had that face back, you know, the F off face that she gets sometimes when she's like, correct.
00:23:41
catherine
It's a face like, how dare you attempt a shot at my goal? Yeah.
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or like, how do you, how do people even doubt about my capability and how strong I am? That's right. I am showing you. Do you remember when she had that walk with that face where she was like that's right like that's me I'm like I am the you know I can't say the word but yeah yeah
00:23:57
catherine
Oh, yeah.
00:23:59
catherine
Yeah. The other thing I'll say is that PSG, they don't they don't seem to play many games kind of in their main stadium.
00:24:12
catherine
They play them all like Bayern do at kind of their campus, where their their academy is as well their campus looks gorgeous it's like um really manicured pitches massive kind of open spaces and lovely buildings it it looks like a really nice campus i'm a bit envious that they spend a a lot of time there um
00:24:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have you ever been to watch, have you ever been there to watch a game?
00:24:35
catherine
no but when money allows
00:24:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. I have been. I have been to watch two of the PSG games. Both of them are there. Parc de Princes. And it was really great.
00:24:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was really great. Yeah.
00:24:52
catherine
yeah
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
They have a very strong ah so support. They have a very strong like support to the camera. I mean, by by no means the stadium was full at all, but there were enough people.
00:25:01
catherine
um no but when money allows yeah
00:25:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then their support, like the strong support have been like they they just there and they just sing and sing and sing and sing and sing the whole time.
00:25:09
catherine
the
00:25:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's just beautiful to see. but Sorry, I've interrupted you
00:25:13
catherine
Oh, no, don't worry. I'm always happy to hear about strong support for the teams. I think that's great.
00:25:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:20
catherine
um's last Oh, um really?
00:25:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
and actually the last game i watch was in fact leon psj well p s gll leone yeah
00:25:25
catherine
Oh, okay.
00:25:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah that was a few months ago though not no on the season before
00:25:30
catherine
Well, this one, it was PSG's first loss in the league. Obviously, they didn't make it through the qualifying grounds of the Champions League, um which I kind of did think, is does that give them an edge in the league over Lyon, that Lyon will have so many more games to play, assuming they reach the far stages of the Champions League?
00:25:51
catherine
um So that'll be interesting to keep an eye on. And then over in the Eredivisie, it's an open competition. It actually looks like quite a competitive league.
00:26:02
catherine
I watch quite a few of the games with Ajax, Utrecht, Twent and Feyenoord all looking quite good. um And there's kind of, it seems to be a very kind of top half and bottom half of the table, the top half all looking quite strong.
00:26:20
catherine
um And some of the bottom half having some ah defensive issues from what I could see. ah Quite a lot of the bottom of the table teams seem to be quite good scoring goals, um but seem to be a bit fragile defensively.
00:26:37
catherine
I will give kind of a shout out for one player that I've kind of noticed when I've been watching the Eredivisie and I hope she's not listening or never listens because I'm going to slaughter the pronunciation of her name because it's obviously a Dutch name.
00:26:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:26:51
catherine
and I don't know how to pronounce it, but it's Lobker Lunen.
00:26:58
catherine
Google her, people at home, Google some of her goals. She's scoring some outstanding goals, and I think um the national team coach, Andries Jonker, should be looking in her direction come next summer, because some of these goals are outstanding yeah um oh no carry on yeah, yes that is true.
00:27:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
you.
00:27:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay
00:27:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Cool. Okay. Just... Yeah, go on. No, no, go on. I just wanted to in remind, um you know, just for people that maybe don't know as much about the European scene.
00:27:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
So all of these leagues also have only 12 teams playing.
00:27:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's also quite a, shall we say, short season, because it is quite a short season, isn't it?
00:27:44
catherine
Yeah.
00:27:47
catherine
It is. I mean, that's another question. Like, when are they going to increase the amount of teams
00:27:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I don't know. I'm not sure about that. I think yes, but I also think maybe not.
00:28:03
catherine
of teams. I think the danger is that it'll just increase, it'll just widen the gap between like those who don't get much funding and those who get a lot of funding
00:28:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, I don't i don't know. I don't know. Because it just there's a point where you think like, okay, it's good. I was having this chat.
00:28:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think, I don't remember if it was with Paige or with someone else, but I was saying like, I think we need we it would be great if we had four more teams in the WSL, right?
00:28:35
catherine
you
00:28:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
It would make, you know, the season in a different way and then just, you know, maybe different and different cities as well could jump in and that type of thing.
00:28:39
catherine
those who get a lot of funding hmm a
00:28:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Paige was just like, yeah, that's great, true, on that side, but then do we also want to bring teams in where the disparity is so high that it's just, I don't know.
00:28:53
catherine
you
00:28:56
catherine
Yeah.
00:28:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think we need to work a bit more on that. I know that, ah for example, the Italian Serie A is changing next year.
00:29:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
i They are bringing, I think, two teams up. Am I am i saying it right? Do you know what? Am I saying it right?
00:29:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let me think. Was it two teams up? So they have 10 teams currently, right?
00:29:27
catherine
who
00:29:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think they are bringing the teams to 12. So the same as aligned with the majority of the leagues in Europe.
00:29:34
catherine
Hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:29:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the majority of the women league in Europe have 12 teams, but they are also bringing, I think, four teams up to the Serie B, something like that.
00:29:46
catherine
the
00:29:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't remember exactly. So they're basically making both leagues juicier, if that makes sense, right? Because just by doing that, that's when you start to push. push is what we were saying the other time right you always need to feed you know the bottom of the pyramid as much as you are feeding the top so that everything trickles down
00:29:57
catherine
hmm
00:30:01
catherine
yeah
00:30:05
catherine
Yeah. Well, definitely. I mean, I think it's a question as well of if we're already concerned about player schedules and the amount of games that they play, do we really want to add more?
00:30:19
catherine
Especially, yeah, especially with the Club World Cup.
00:30:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
that was my point yeah
00:30:23
catherine
um And then the impact, something that I've been interested in lately is kind of the ratio between international football and club football. And kind of because um with the recent games against Germany and South Africa, the game against Germany was on Friday.
00:30:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was my point. Yeah.
00:30:42
catherine
They arrived at St George's Park on Monday. That's what one training session, two training sessions across the week. And that's really not a lot of time to adjust back into international football after being in club for so long and then you've got to jump back and adjust really quickly into club football again um so yeah definitely that ratio i think is also something we need to we need to keep an eye on
00:30:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:31:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and I think this is why they are being careful. Obviously, the UEFA is bringing in a new club competition. um I don't know if they're going to do the same as ah the Europa League or not, but they're bringing a new club competition for women as well.
00:31:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know they want to create even more club competition. I'm going to say this one, but and I don't mean this in any offensive way at all, but more like as in lower levels or for also kind of like lower leagues and leagues where maybe there's not as much fundings and I think it's really great because again we are feeding the bottom of the pyramid but anyway so the updates on the European leagues Catherine promised is going to be a weekly update from now on what day we're not sure yet maybe moving forward we will decide what date is going to be but there will always be an update on European leagues and another little surprise but you'll find out in in the future episodes but I think that's all we have time for today so thank you for joining us and we look forward to welcoming you to the next episode of
00:31:33
catherine
Mm-hmm.
00:31:41
catherine
yeah
00:31:51
catherine
he
00:31:54
catherine
so
00:31:59
catherine
Yeah.
00:32:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
beyond the pitch
00:32:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
the